C. J. Snare (Carl Jeffrey Snare), vocalist of the cult American glam metal band Firehouse, passed away suddenly at home on Friday evening, April 5, 2024. He was just 64 years old.
As you may have already heard, after C. J. successfully got through surgery, Firehouse had been getting ready to hit the stage again this summer. Since fall 2020, C. J. had been battling colon cancer.
Many considered C. J. one of the best vocal talents of his generation. He toured nonstop with Firehouse throughout a 34-year career.
C. J. recorded all eight of Firehouse’s studio albums with them – the last one, “Full Circle”, came out in 2011.
Firehouse muscled their way into the center of the lively glam metal scene right at the turn from the late eighties into the nineties with their 1990 self-titled debut “Firehouse”. The album spawned the singles All She Wrote, Don’t Treat Me Bad and Love of a Lifetime, and it hit number 21 on the Billboard chart, turning the band into overnight superstars.
The follow-up, “Hold Your Fire” from 1992, kept the momentum of its predecessor going. It reached number 23 on the Billboard chart, and Firehouse pulled the singles Reach for the Sky and the gorgeous ballad When I Look In Your Eyes from it.
In 1995 came the third studio album, “3”. It brought a slightly softer sound and production, but Firehouse held on to their glam metal swagger despite the era of grunge’s total dominance. The band released the single I Live My Life For You from it. It was the last Firehouse album to make the top 100 of the Billboard chart, settling at number 66.
Alongside guitarist Billy Leverty, C. J. was considered the band’s main songwriter. Over his career he wrote most of Firehouse’s songs; seven of them landed on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and five of those made the top 40.
C. J. Snare also occasionally played with Rubicon Cross and Scrap Metal, and worked as a producer as well.
